Zephaniah 3

Jerusalem Will Be Destroyed

1 How horrible it will be for that rebelliousand corrupt place, the city of violence.2 It obeys no one.It does not accept correction.It does not trust the Lord.It does not draw close to its God.3 Its officials are like roaring lions.Its judges are like wolves in the evening.They leave nothing to gnaw on for the morning.4 Its prophets are reckless and unfaithful.Its priests contaminate what is holy.They violate the teachings.5 The righteous Lord is in that city.He does no wrong.He brings his judgment to light every morning.He does not fail.But those who are perverted are shameless.6 “I will cut off the nations.Their towers will be destroyed.I will demolish their streets.No one will walk through them.Their cities will be completely destroyed.Not a single person will be left.No one will be living there.7 I said to my people,‘You will fear me.You will accept correction!’Then their homeland would not be wiped outeven though I have punished them.Still, they continued to be corrupt in everything they did.”8 The Lord declares, “Just wait!One day I will stand up as a witness.I have decided to gather nations,to bring kingdoms together,and to pour my rage, my burning anger, on them.The whole land will be consumed by my fiery fury.

Israel Will Turn Away From Sin

9 “Then I will give all people pure lipsto worship the Lordand to serve him with one purpose.10 From beyond the rivers of Sudanmy worshipers, my scattered people, will bring my offering.11 On that day you will no longer be ashamedof all your rebellious acts against me.Then I will remove your arroganceand never again will you act proud on my holy mountain.12 So with you I will leave a faithful few, a humble and poor people.They will seek refuge in the name of the Lord.13 The faithful few in Israel will not do wrong, tell lies,or use their tongues to deceive others.They will graze their sheep and lie down,and there will be no one to terrify them.”

Israel’s Joyful Song

14 Sing happily, people of Zion!Shout loudly, Israel!Celebrate and rejoice with all your heart, people of Jerusalem.15 The Lord has reversed the judgments against you.He has forced out your enemies.The king of Israel, the Lord, is with you.You will never fear disaster again.16 On that day Jerusalem will be told,“Do not be afraid, Zion!Do not lose courage!”17 The Lord your God is with you.He is a hero who saves you.He happily rejoices over you,renews you with his love,and celebrates over you with shouts of joy.

Israel Will Return Home

18 “I will gather those among you who are troubled because of the festivals.They bear a burden of disgrace.19 At that timeI will deal with all who have overpowered you.I will rescue those who are lame.I will gather those who have been scattered.I will make them praised and famous in all the world,though they had been ashamed.20 At that time I will bring you home.Yes, at that time I will gather you together.I will make you famous and praised among all the people of the earthwhen I restore your fortunes right before your eyes,” says the Lord.

Zephaniah 3

Jerusalem is Corrupt

1 The filthy,t stained city is as good as dead;
the city filled with oppressors is finished!ts

2 She is disobedient;t
she refuses correction.t
She does not trust the Lord;
she does not seek the advice oft her God.

3 Her princest are as fierce as roaring lions;t
her rulerst are as hungry as wolves in the desert,t
who completely devour their prey by morning.t

4 Her prophets are proud;s
they are deceitful men.
Her priests defile what is holy;ts
they break God’s laws.t

5 The just Lord residest within her;
he commits no unjust acts.t
Every morning he revealst his justice.
At dawn he appears without fail.t
Yet the unjust know no shame.

The Lord’s Judgment will Purify

6 “I destroyedt nations;
their walled citiest are in ruins.
I turned their streets into ruins;
no one passes through them.
Their cities are desolate;t
no one lives there.t

7 I thought,t ‘Certainly you will respectts me!
Now you will accept correction!’
If she had done so, her homet would not be destroyedt
by all the punishments I have threatened.t
But they eagerly sinned
in everything they did.t

8 Therefore you must wait patientlyt for me,” says the Lord,
“for the day when I attack and take plunder.t
I have decidedt to gather nations together
and assemble kingdoms,
so I can pour out my fury on them –
all my raging anger.
Fort the whole earth will be consumed
by my fiery anger.

9 Know for sure that I will then enable
the nations to give me acceptable praise.ts
All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray,t
and will worship him in unison.t

10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,t
those who pray to mets will bring me tribute.

11 In that day yous will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me,t
for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast,t
and you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill.

12 I will leave in your midst a humble and meek group of people,t
and they will find safety in the Lord’s presence.ts

13 The Israelites who remaint will not act deceitfully.
They will not lie,
and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth.
Indeed, they will graze peacefully like sheept and lie down;
no one will terrify them.”

14 Shout for joy, Daughter Zion!s
Shout out, Israel!
Be happy and boast with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!

15 The Lord has removed the judgment against you;t
he has turned back your enemy.
Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst!
You no longer need to fear disaster.

16 On that day they will sayt to Jerusalem,
“Don’t be afraid, Zion!
Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic!t

17 The Lord your God is in your midst;
he is a warrior who can deliver.
He takes great delight in you;t
he renews you by his love;s
he shouts for joy over you.”t

18 “As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals –
I took them away from you;
they became tribute and were a source of shame to you.t

19 Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you.
I will rescue the lame sheept
and gather together the scattered sheep.
I will take away their humiliation
and make the whole earth admire and respect them.t

20 At that time I will lead you –
at the time I gather you together.t
Be sure of this!t I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire yout
when you see me restore you,”t says the Lord.